Axle-box cover for railway or like vehicles



Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,378

G. F. DARLING AXLE Bqx COVER FOR RAILWAY 40R LIKE VEHICLES vFiled Oct. 6. 1925 IN VEN TOR. 6. f. flr9/e4//v BY zjgm Patented Nov. 8, 1921 AXLE-BOX c'ovnn non narriwerr on vniifonn's.

7 Application filed October a, 1925, Serial No. 60,938, and a nid-ia' ivr'archv, 1925'."

This inventionrelates to an automatically locking cover to an axle-box for a railway or like vehicle, which cover is of the kind whichwhen'once closed cannot be opened again without lifting the wagon or at least' liftingthe vehicle spring: which rests upon the axle-.box'con'cerncd.

Axle-boxes are known inwhich the cover slides into place and can only be closed by 1 lifting the vehicle sp'ring,'slippingthe cover into'position with the upper end of the cover,-

' or an extension thereof, extending'under a part of the vehicle spring and lowering the said spring into position again. In this known apparatus the cover cannot either be placed in position or opened without having the like inside the axle-box which can be worked from the outside of the axle-box'by pulling on the stem, or causing the stem of the releasing arrangements to protrude through a hole, in the upper surface of the axle-box which stem end is covered by and prevented from being operated, or'operating, owing-to the vehicle spring holdlng it down.

In order" therefore to release the cover the vehicle spring m'ustfirst be raised. Usually 40 a spring will be fitted to cause the stemof the releasing arrangement to automatically protrude when the vehicle spring is released. One object of'the invention is by the above described means to provide an axle-box which is, fool-proof and practically thiefproof. Railway axle-box thieves are not provided with the necessary appliances for lifting the wagon sufliciently to release theaXlebox-cover; The arrangement will thus defeat their activities and save the railways concerned enormous expense in theftand damage to rolling stock,

The invention not onl .includes the axlebox cover but also airle boxes so fitted and box may be'altered to make it capable of above the upper surface of the airle-boxupon adapter means whereby any ordinary aXlebeing fitted with cated. r N The invention thus consists of iniproved automatically locking'cov'e'r for an axle-box of a railway or likevehicle which may he slid or moved into its closed posit1on and is automatically locked therein by ahinged'flap, catch or device which; actuated by gravity orunder' the action of'aispring; drops; moves or springs forward so" that it a cover of the kind"in"dix engages-the axle box or'the side or edgeof' the opening in the aXle-boxto prevent the covc er'being opened until or unless a releasing devlce is operated, characterizedby the said releasing device being. so arranged that: it

can only operate, or be operated, to release the said cover when the vehicle spring; n'ormal ly resting'upon the top'of said axle-box, is lifted clear of the same.

vThe invention also comprises. the neces sary disengaging device fitted inside the axle; box and normally arranged to bein" anuin: operative position as I long as the ehicle. spring engages the top of the box, "and which has a stem or part passing through .orlyin'g in a hole in the top of the box which ,isheld depressed by said spring, but Whl Chy-UPZOQ- the'said spring being raised or lifted clear of the box, is capable of 'beinglifteior of being forced up by a spring, to operate the, said hinged flap, catch or device 'tomovetheI same into its disengaging position to release the cover. I L a In the preferred form the cover slides into a grooved recess and is secured thferein, when in closed position, by' a locking -de-,- vice inside the cover falling or'being'puslied I out to engage the inner upper'side'of the opening. a i

The cover may sllde into a grooved; recesss made integral with the axle-boxjitself if a new axle-box is being-made. It may, on; the other hand, slide into a: grooved recess. which isformed. by, or made in, an adapter frame fitted to the front of the axle-box,

whereby an axle-box of any knownpatte'rni may be adapted co-automatically lockjin' the manner substantially as indicated. Such adapt-er frame I according -to this invention will preferably be welded onto the faceof the axle-box andbecome one therewith,

The disengaging device may have spring means adaptedto causethe stem toprotrud'efl' the vehicle spring being lifted to allow of, such movement and said device at thesaxn time causing the cover locking means to be released.

Theinvention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, various forms the invention may take. In these drawings Figure 1 is a cross section of an axle-box with the cover in place but the vehicle spring removed. I I

Figure 2 is a plan. I Figure 3 is a side view of another form the disengaging device may take, and

which slides into grooved recesses 3.

Figure 4 is an end view partly in section. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 the axle-box 1 has a sliding cover 2 The recesses are (in Fig. 1) formed in an adapter 4 secured to-the axle-box but may with advantage in new axle-boxes be made integral with the main casting.

The cover slides into place from above I and according to the-usual arrangement of axle-boxes on Indian railways has a slight inclination backwards. A flap or catch 5 is hinged at 6 to the inside of the cover 2.

Whilst the cover is being pushed into position the flap 5 lies in a depression or recess 7 in the cover. This recess may be made by the thickened reinforced edge .8 of-the cover. Upon the cover reaching its final closed-position the flap or catch 5 falls by axle-box.

gravity and takes up a position 5*.

In its new position 5 the flap or catch This operating rod 10, on being pulled or raised, operates a bell-crank 12 pivoted at 13, which bell-crank in turn operates the push rod 14. The push rod 14 has a slot or other supporting surface in it which is supported by the stud 15 and has a cranked end 16 which, on being pushed when the rod 10 is pulled, operates to press back the flap 5, thus releasing the cover.

A spring 17 may be provided to cause the rod 10 to rise when it is permitted so to do.

The stemor button 11 is however arranged to come below the vehicle spring, which spring is normally seated in the recess 18. Therod 10 can thus only be operated, or operate, to release the cover when the vehicle spring has been raised off its seating 18.

In Figures 3 and 4 the releasing device-is slightly different. The bell-crank 12 is reversed so that the rod 14 is in tension when about to release the flap. This rod 14.- operates a rocker arm 19 on the rocker bar 20,

which rocker bar is much stifi'er than the end 16 owing to its being pivoted at 21, 22 in bearings fixed to the two sides 23, 24 of the axle-box. The release arm'25 in this case causes the flap 5 to release.

Itwill of course be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated which are only shown byway of example, but will include within its scope reasonable modifications. For example, any suitable kind of sliding, pivoted or hinged cover could be used. A small spring might be fitted between the flap 5 to cause it posi: tively to open.

the opening in the axle-box so as not to ob- The rocker. arm 20 may be arranged at the level of the upper edge of struct the operation of packing the cotton waste into the box.

Other alterations might be made. For

example, inorder to avoid any possibility of a hinged flap, if used, getting gummed up with oil, or owing to the suction produced due to a film of oil betweenthe said .flap and the back of the axle-box cover, a button,

serrations or the like might be formed toprevent the flap from coming into close contact with the cover, or a small spring might be introduced certainly to overcome the suction of a film of oil between the said parts. A guard or projecting rim 'may be cast upon, or otherwise fixed to, the upper sur-. face of the axle-box to guard or surround the orifice through which the button or rod stem 11 passes, which, without necessarily touching the underside of the spring, will allow so little clearance that it will prevent the said button or stem being tampered with.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a railway axle box, a removable cover therefor, a latch for automatically se curing the: cover in closed position, and latch operating means'housed within the axle box, which means is only operable to release the cover latch when the load normally superimposed upon the axle box is removed. v

2. In a railway axle box, a removable cover therefor, a latch for securing the cover in its closed position, the latch being fas ing upon the top ofthe axle box is lifted clear of the same.

3. In a railway axle box provided with a cover element or lid to give access to the lnterlor of the box for lnspection, renewal,

- or repair of the bearing, a latch to secure the cover in its closed position, the latch being arranged entirely within the axle box, and latch releasing means comprising a system of connected rods and levers which are also housed and supported within the axle box, one of the rods of the system being vertically supported and alined with an opening in the top of the axle box, a spring element associated with the said rod in a manner to raise the rod and thereby release the cover latch when the vehicle load which normally rests upon the top of the axle box is lifted.

l. In a railway axle box provided with a sliding cover to close the box against unauthorized tampering, a pivoted latch carried by the cover and arranged to lie within a recess in the under side of the cover in order not to interfere with the sliding movement of the cover to its closed position, the, latch moving automatically to a holdin 0-' rod vertically supported and alined with an opening in the top of the axle box, and a spring element tending to raise the rod and thereby operate the latch releasing means when the vehicleload which normally rests upon the top of the axle box is lifted.

In testimony whereof I hereto ailix my signature,this twentieth day of August, 1925.

' GEORGE FREDERICK DARLING. 

